Method of and machine for cutting wood heels



Num :fb Mm., c. '1. POLL/ARD 29336522 METHOD OF'AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING WOOD HEELS Filed May 4, 193e 2 sheen-sheet' 1 H5, W3., c. l. KDQLLARID' METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING WOOD HEELS Filed May 4,' 195e 2 sheetsheet 2 by@ @www Patented Nov. 15, 1938 2 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE `METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING WOOD HEELS Carl I. Pollard, Himrod, N. Y., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 4, 1936, Serial N0. 77,727 15 Claims. (Cl. 12-47) This invention relates to machines and methblank occurs intersects the solid of revolution ods for cutting heels and in its machine aspect generetedby the Cutter and lies Parallel t e is illustrated as embodied in a machine for groovperpendicular to the rotational axis of the cutter. ing Cuban heels. The illustrated machine is Thus, the out in the heel blank progressively 5 similar in construction to that shown in United Varies between e Circuler andv an elliptical Shape States Letters PatentNo. 1,669,672', granted May in horizontal cross-section, with the result that it 15, 1928, on my application. cuts in a wider, natter curve when so swung and Cuban heels, as they originally appeared in such relative orientation of the heel blank and the trade, were not grooved at the breast, which Cutter When it iS Cutting the upper and lOWeI Was at, the breast surface being formed by the ends of the heel breast can be taken advantage 10 saw which originally formed the heel blank. As of t0 form the breast surface in these regiOnS the requirements of ne shoemaking became with a ilatter curvature and will therefore cause more exacting, the breast surfaces of Cuban heels their end DOltiOnS to be farther t0 the rear than Were cut in vertical cylindrical grooves. The they WOllld Otherwise have been, and Will tend t0 intersection of such a surface with the concave straighten the concave breast edges. 15 side surfaces of the heel formed the so-cailed A perfectly straight line down the center of breast corners or edges which were concave when the breast So formed is Secured by reason of the seen from the sides, This was` due to the fact relation between the axis around which the orithat the flaring portions of the concave side entation of the cutter and the heel blank occurs surface, at the upper and lower ends of the heel, and the Surface of revolution generated bv the 20 would intersect the cylindrical breast surface at Cutting edge 0f the Cutter. This Surface is that points farther from the central line of the eylinof the exterior of a torus or anchor ring. formed drical groove and hence farther to the front by IeVOlViIlg e Cutting blade the edge 0f Which than the narrower portions would, constitutes in effect a circular generatrix about This resulting concavity of the breast edges ah eXS Parallel t0 and beyond that diameter 25 was regarded as a detriment from the standpoint Which iS perpendicular t0 its aXiS 0f Symmetry. of style, and a number of attempts were made to In accordance` with the present invention the correct it. The most successful solution was that center of curvature of the circular arc or gehof Harley W. Russ, described and Claimed in eratrix when the latter is in its position inter- United States Letters Patent No. 1,528,345, secting the lOlgtlldhel median lille 0f the Sul- 30 granted March 3, 1925, in accordance with which face beine `formed Orl the heel is located in the the cylindrical breast surface was bent backaxis around which the above-discussed relative wards in its upper and lower regions, thus drawswinging movement of the cutter and heel blank ing backward the forwardly extending upper and takes place so that the depth of cut over the verlower ends of the breast edges, and leaving a tical central line of the breast is not affected,l 35 relatively high region at the center of thebreast since the operative part of the effective cutter surface. head shape and the work simply pivot relatively The object of the present invention is to `proto each other around the saidY center of curvavide a machine which will cut a breast surface ture. Thus, by appropriate design, the central with the usual vertical cylindrical appearance, breast line will be straight, and the upper and having straight appearing breast edges and havlower portions of the breastedges will be drawn ing a straight, instead of a curved, vertical cenback so that the breast edges can be made to lie tral breast portion. This result is secured by a in a plane and will thus appear straight when relative rotative movement between the cutter seen from the sides.

head and heel blank about an axis intersecting In its machine aspect the invention comprises 45 the solid of revolution generated by the cutter mechanical structure for practicing the method head, compounded with a simple rectilinear relaabove outlined. tive movement between the cutter head and the These and other features of the invention comy heel breast. Such a simple movement of the cutprising certain combinations and arrangements 5.0 ter relatively to a heel breast, in a direction parof parts will be apparent from the following deallel to the cutter axis, will produce the breast scription of a preferred embodiment of the insurface with the objectionable concave appearvention shown in the drawings, in which ing breast edges above described. In accordance Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine; with the present invention the axis about which Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line II-II of the relative orientation of the cutter andheel Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a right end elevational section on the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the chain carrier;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the cutter head; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are details illustrating the varying action of the cutter in different positions,

The machine frame carries two shafts I2, I4 carrying sprocket wheels I6, I8, respectively. The shaft I2 is driven by a motor 20 through a gearing in a box 22, and a sprocket and chain 24. The sprocket wheels I6 and I8 are connected by a double sprocket chain 26, through which the shaft I4 is driven, and the relative rectilinear component of the feeding movement of the work and the cutter is effected in the illustrated machine by a movement of the heel blanks past the cutter.

The chain 26 bears a number of jacks or carriers 28 (Fig. 4), equally spaced along it. Each carrier 28 has a simple pivotal connection to the chain 26 at 30 and also a link connection at 32, to allow free passage of the carriers 28 around the sprocket wheels. The carriers 28, when opposite the cutter (to be described below), run over a supporting member 34 (Fig. 3) mounted on a bracket 36, `and are supported against lateral pressure from the cutter by rolls 38 (Figs. 2 and 3) also supported on the bracket 36.

Each jack 28 is provided with a gage plate 40 (Fig. 2) angularly adjustable by means of a bolt and .arcuate slot and arranged to contact with the attaching face of a heel blank 42. Each carrier 28 is also provided with a back gage 44 similarly angularly adjustable and arranged to contact with the rear facev of the heel blank 42. An adjustable breast gage 46 is also provided, mounted on the frame Il). The gages 44 and 46 will not ordinarily be used simultaneously, since the blanks 42 usually vary somewhat in dimensions, even when cut for the same heels.

The blanks 42 are held firmly down upon the carriers or jacks 28 as they pass over the support 34, by a knife-edged member 48, engaging their upper surfaces, mounted in a vertical and vertically adjustable slideway 50 and forced downward by a weighted lever 52, its downward movement being limited by a pin 5I. Thus blanks inserted at the left (Fig. l) end of the machine will be carried across to the right, and, when passing the middle portion of the machine, will pass under the member 48 and will be firmly held against any movement except that to the right by the support 34, the member 48 and the rolls 38.

The cutter organization 54, shown diagrammatically in Figs. 2 and 5, comprises a horizontal shaft 56 driven by a motor 58 by means of a belt 59. The whole organization 54 is pivoted on a vertical axis at 60 on a dovetailed bracket 62, which is vertically adjustable in a correspondingly dovetailed slide in the frame I0 by a screw 64 (Figs. l and 3). The organization 54 has a slotted arm 86, whereby an adjustable connection can be made with a link 68, biased by a spring 69, to swing the cutter head organization 54 about the pivot 60. Such action is brought about by a cam 'I0 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted on the shaft I4, and cooperating with a lever 'I2 pivoted to the frame I0 at 'I4 and having a balland-socket joint 'I6 with the link 68. The lowest parts of the cam 'I0 are constructed to place the cutter in the full line position of Fig. 2 and timed to effect this when the cutter is passing over the central portions of the blank 42.` The rise which follows such a portion moves the` cutter toward the dotted line position in Fig. 2 corresponding to the cut from the center of the breast to the attaching face. The following high portion of the cam corresponds to the transit from one blank 42 to the next to the left in Fig. 2, with the cutter in the tilted (dotted) position, and the next drop carries the cutter back to the full line position as the cut moves from the top-lift end to the center of this next blank to the left, in Fig. 2. These two p0- sitions of the tiltable cutter head are .also illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, respectively, and in Fig. 5.

The cutter shaft 56 carries two cutter blades 18, the cutting edges of which constitute generatrices which are illustrated as having an effective semi-circular form 88 (Fig. 5), the surface of revolution of the cutter being therefore the exterior surface of a torus, and the blades are adjusted so that the center of the effective semicircle of that blade which is cutting the heel blank 42 at its longitudinal median line is in line with the pivotal axis 60 (Figs. 2 and 5). Thus the swinging of the cutter by the cam 'I0 (Fig. 2) will not affect the depth to which the cutter cuts along the longitudinal median line of the heel breast surface of the heel blank 42, since the semicircle which generates the torio surface will merely turn relatively to its fixed center at 60, and this central line will therefore be straight, up and down the heel breast surface. At the side edges of this surface, however, the condition is different, as shown by comparing Figs. 6 and 7. The tilting of the cutter head, as the upper and lower parts of the heel breast surface are being treated, causes its effective contour to become elliptical (Fig. '7) instead of circular (Fig. 6) with the result that it cuts more deeply at the edges of the blank at the top and bottom than it does in the middle. This will result in drawing back the upper and lower breast corners of the blank when the side surfaces of the blank are cut in the turning machine, and by proper design and adjustment of the machine the two breast corner lines can be made to look straight when seen from the sides of the completed heel.

While the dotted line position of the cutter in Fig. 2 has the correct relation to the full line position, .and to the machine as a whole, it should be noted that the heu blank will be ahead of or behind the location shown in Fig. 2 when the cutter is in its dotted position.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel cutting machine, a heel blank carrier and a rotary cutter arranged for relative traversing movement in a certain direction, the plane determined by the axis of the cutter and the line of the said certain direction being substantially perpendicular to the heel blank surface being operated upon, said cutter axis being arranged to swing about an axis located between the center of the cutter and the work, said axis being substantially parallel to a line perpendicular to the cutter axis and also parallel t0 the said heel blank surface, and mechanism for so swinging the cutter axis during the said relative movement to alter progressively the shape of the cut in the heel blank.

2. In a heel cutting machine, a heel carrier, a rotary cutter the surface generated by the cutting edges of which comprises a toroidal surface of revolution, mechanism for moving the heel carthe toroidal surface between rier past the cutter in a direction lying generally in the direction of the cutter axis, and mecha-` curvature of the cutter as it passes a heel blank in the heel carrier.

3. In a heel cutting machine, a rotary cutter having a blade the cutting edge of which generates a toroidal surface of revolution, a heel carrier, and mechanism for causing relative movement of said carrier and said cutter in a direction having a circular component about an axis intersecting said toroidal surface whereby the effective cutting curvature of said cutter is progressively varied as the heel and the cutter pass each other.

Ll. In a heel cutting machine, a rotary cutter the cutting edge of which constitutes in effect a circular generatrix arranged to generate a toroidal surface of revolution, a heel carrier, and mechanism for causing relative feeding movement of said cutter and said carrier, said feeding movement having a circular component about an axis intersecting the center of said generatrix when in its position intersecting the longitudinal median line of the generated heel surface.

5. In a heel cutting machine, a heel carrier, a rotary cutter having blades the cutting edges of which generate a toroidal surface of revolution, mechanism for relatively moving the heel carrier and the cutter in a certain direction, the said direction and the axis of rotation of the cutter being parallel to the same plane, and mechanism for swinging the cutter axis around a second axis lying substantially perpendicular to the said plane and intersecting the said toroidal surface whereby the effective cutting radius of the cutter relatively to a heel blank in the said carrier may be progressively varied as the heel blank and the cutter pass each other.

6. In a heel cutting machine, a heel blank carrier, a rotary cutter having a cutting edge which is effectively semicircular with the center of the semicircle spaced from the axis of rotation of the cutter, Vsaid cutter as a whole being pivotally mounted on an axis substantially at right angles to its axis of rotation, said pivotal axis passing substantially through the center of the said semicircle in that one of its rotated positions around the axis of rotation of the cutter which is nearest to the path of a heel blank in the carrier.

'7. In a heel cutting machine, a rotary cutter having a cutting edge which is effectively a circular arc with the center of curvature of the arc spaced from the axis of rotation of the cutter, Said cutter as a whole being pivotally mounted on an axis substantially at right angles to its axis of rotation, said pivotal axis passing substantially through the center of curvature of the said arc in that one of its rotated positions around the axis of rotation of the cutter which is nearest the path of the work, and a heel blank carrier arranged to move a heel blank therein past the said rotated position as the cutter is pivoted on the said pivotal axis, whereby the transverse curvature of the surface formed on the heel blank by the cutter will vary from one point to another, and the central line of the surface will be substantially straight.

8. In a heel grooving machine, a carrier arranged to move a heel blank therein in a direction substantially parallel to the breast surface of the heel blank and extending heightwise thereof, and an organization comprising a rotary cutter with the axis of rotation of the cutter lying in a direction heightwise of the heel blank, said organization being pivoted on an axis lying substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the said parallel direction and the said axis of rotation and intersecting the surface of revolution generated by the cutter, between the axis of rota- -tion of the cutter and the breast surface of the heel blank.

9. In a heel grooving machine, a carrier arranged to move a heel-blank therein in a direction substantially parallel to the breast surface of the heel blank and extending heightwise thereof, an organization comprising a rotary cutter with the axis of rotation of the cutter lying in a direction heightwise of the neel blank, said organization being pivoted on an axis lying substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal central vertical plane of the heel blank and intersecting the surface of revolution of the cutter between the axis of rotation of the cutter and the breast surface of the heel blank, and means operated in timed relation to the movement of a heel blank on the carrier to swing the said organization about the said pivotal axis while the heel blank is passing the cutter.

i0. In a heel grooving machine, a carrier arranged to move a heel blank therein in a direction substantially parallel to the breast surface of the heel blank and extending heightwise thereof, an organization comprising a rotary cutter with the axis of rotation of the cutter lying in a direction heightwise of the heel blank, said organization being pivcted on an axis lying substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal, heightwise, central plane of the heel blank and intersecting the surface of revolution of the cutter between the axis of rotation of the cutter and the breast surface of the heel blank, and means operated in timed relation to the movement of the carrier to swing the said organization about the said pivotal axis while the heel blank is passing the cutter, said means being arranged to bring the axis of rotation of the cutter to minimum Obliquity to the direction of relative traverse of the heel blank and cutter when the cutter is treating the middle region of the heel breast.

11. In a heel grooving machine as defined in claim 9 wherein the heel carrier comprises a plurality of heel blank holding packs, a cam for swinging the cutter organization, said cam having an operative surface arranged to control the swinging movement in the same timed relation to the movement of each jack past the cutter.

12. That improvement in the art of cutting wood heels which comprises effecting a relative movement of a heel blank and a rotary cutter blade in a line lying generally in the direction of the cutter axis, and compounding withrthe rotary movement of the cutter blade about its axis a second rotary movement about an axis lying perpendicular to the longitudinal central vertical plane of the heel blank, and lying also between the point of attachment of the blade to the cutter axis, and the work.

13. That improvement in the art of cutting wood heels which comprises rotating about an axis a cutter blade the effective shape of which is a circular arc, effecting a relative movement between a heel blank and said cutter blade in a direction lying substantially parallel to the face of the heel blank that is being cut, and compounding with the rotary movement of the cutter blade about its axis of rotation a second rotary movement about an axis passing through the center of curvature of the said circular arc when said arc is in the position it occupies when the said blade is effecting its nishing cut upon a point of the said heel blank surface, said lastnamed axis being also perpendicular to the plane defined by the axis of rotation of the cutter blade and the central line of cut on the said heel blank surface.

14. That improvement in the art of cutting wood heels which comprises moving a rotary cutter, the cutting edge of which constitutes, in effect, a circular generatrix, and a heel blank relatively to each other in a direction substantially parallel to the face of the heel blank that is being cut, and effecting a relative movement of the blank and cutter about an axis passing through the center of said generatrix in the position when the generatrix intersects the longitudinal median line of the generated heel surface.

15. That improvement in the art of cutting Wood heels which consists in imparting a relative translatory feeding movement between a heel blank and a rotary cutter the cutting edge o1" which constitutes, in effect, a circular generatrix, and simultaneously eiecting a. relative rotation of said blank and cutter about an axis passing through the center of said generatrix when in its position which intersects the longitudinal median line of the generated heel surface.

CARL I. POLLARD. 

